How paradise became the fattest place in the world

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The Pacific islands are home to nine of the top 10 countries for obesity globally. Rates of obesity range from 35% to 50% in the region and one in five children are estimated to be obese.

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The obesity epidemic began with locals turning their backs on traditional diets of fresh fish and vegetables and replacing them with highly processed and energy-dense food such as white rice, flour, canned foods, processed meats and soft drinks imported from other countries. Pictured, a supermarket in Tonga.

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Once a source of their own food, fishermen are today selling their catch to buy large quantities of processed and canned foods, including canned tuna.

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Increasingly sedentary lifestyles have aided the rise in obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for conditions including type II diabetes and diabetes rates have risen dramatically in the region, with almost half of the population diabetic in the Marshall Islands.

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Physical activity was previously linked with work as people worked on plantations and took to the seas to catch fish. The idea of leisure-time activity is relatively new and is being promoted in new health policies.

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The beautiful Cook Islands are now the world's fattest country, with more than half the adults classified as obese.